Look How Quickly Life Can Fall Apart
by Sacred Light
Summary: I suck at summaries... but please read! >>>>> The Guardian has been found, and what's going on with Reko? Is that his partner? Find out how his partner comes to be in Chapter 7!
1. Prologue

Look How Quickly Life Can Fall Apart  
  
Prologue  
  
"Hope, Takeru Takashi, Hope."  
  
That's what his friends usually say in times like this. But this is far worse than a simple little battle in either world. This seems like death to him. All he has left now are his old dreams. Everyone is silent. No one can believe what lies in front of them. The handsome, tall, blond-haired Destend of the pure age of 16 looks on at the wreckage, not believing what has happened, knowing he hardly escaped this horrible disaster. He turns around toward his best friends, and lowers his head, a single tear falling to the ground. 


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
That one tear turns into many, and all of his friends rush over, Matt almost missing grabbing Takeru's shoulder before his brother could fall to the ground. Taichi turns to the wreckage. So much broken glass, and metal everywhere. He looks past the torn apart vehicle, to the body. Blood is everywhere, and there are huge gashes all over the body. He turns back to Takeru slowly, just trying to take all this in.  
  
"I can't believe she was drunk! Why?!" Takeru screams out, falling to his knees, and looking down at his bleeding hands, arms, and chest. His shirt is torn down the back, and diagonally down the front from his left arm to his right side. There are cuts through his pant legs as well. Small, but they're still there. Where is he supposed to sleep? How's he supposed to survive now? No more Takeru Takashi.  
  
"I want to change my name to Ishida." Takeru proclaims, standing up with the help of his brother, and wiping the tears from his face. He walks half angry/half depressed down the street towards Matt and his father's apartment, just wanting to leave behind the gruesome pictures of riding home from his father's, with his absent-minded mother driving, and how he got out right before the front end of the car slid right underneath the rear of the semi in front of them. He just wants to wake up from this nightmare. How could his mother drink behind his back? How could she have been like that driving down the road? She's always been the one there for him, when his friends weren't around. She's always been the caring parent, but now she's gone! Life changes too quickly, to easily, too willingly.  
  
He's up to a run now - a sprint to the door of the apartment complex, and by the time his friends get inside the apartment, Takeru's already crying on the bed in his older brother's room.  
  
Drawings of all the Destend and their partners are hanging on the walls - some with tape, others as colleagues and hung in frames. All of them Matt drew. He's hoping that he'll be a professional artist someday, maybe after his band wears down to nothing. The spots on the walls that aren't filled inch for inch with artwork have signed guitars by all of Japan's most famous rock groups, and even some that Mimi sent him from America.  
  
"Oh come on!" Matt yells toward the figure. "If she was drunk, then it doesn't matter this much! You couldn't have done anything about it. It's over Takeru. It's time to move on."  
  
Takeru sucks back his tears. He's always been the baby of the family. Matt never cried. Just Takeru, always Takeru. He always could get his way, even when no one else could. Now it's been cracked like ice and melted away. From now on, he's not going to cry. He's going to be like his big brother. Not one tear.  
  
"Fine." He says. "How about we go to the Digital World?"  
  
Everyone agrees to go, and they're soon walking down by the Nomoto Creek.  
  
"How can things change so fast?" Takeru asks. "How is it that one day your mother seems like the best one in the world, and the next day you find out she was just drunk?"  
  
"Aw, it'll be ok." Hikari says to Takeru, kissing him on the lips. "At least you found out before she died, and at least there's still all your friends, and your brother, and your dad."  
  
"That's true. Thanks, Hikari." Takeru replies. He then puts one arm around Hikari's waist, holding her close. "And there's still you."  
  
Takeru doesn't really feel like complaining anymore. Instead, he walks silently along the creek with his arm around his girlfriend. He's at peace now, knowing the worst is behind him. Nothing else can possibly go wrong.  
  
As they walk along, they come up to the lake. Hikari runs ahead, slipping out of her sandals and trudging into the wet sand. Takeru watches her for a minute or two before joining in. Hikari notices, and playfully pushes Takeru further into the water, making him slip and fall backwards. Then, Takeru trips Hikari, making her fall in as well. They laugh as they splash water on each other and let the current sweep them away from the shore.  
  
As the current moves them further out into the lake, they look from each other's drenched hair to the yellow-red sky. It's getting late, and the sun's setting. Takeru and Hikari swim to the shore and lay on the ground next to each other. They look up to the sky, watching the sunset, and the stars as they appear one by one in the night sky. Eventually they fall asleep to the waves rolling on the soft sand.  
  
Takeru wakes up in the morning to a blonde-haired girl looking him in the eye.  
  
"Aaaaahhhh!" He screams, jumping backward away from her. "Who are you?"  
  
"Are you Takeru Takashi?"  
  
"Uh, yeah. Is this the Digital World?"  
  
"Yeah, it should be. At least, last time I checked, there were Digimon everywhere." The little girl says sarcastically.  
  
"Who are you?" Takeru asks again.  
  
"I'm Nemoriku!" She says with a giggle. "I live here now! A Digimon came up to me in the streets of Kyoto and showed me this Digital World two weeks ago! You're the famous Takeru from the television show? You're a hero!" She says, hugging Takeru. Takeru pats her on her back.  
  
"Don't you have a home to go to?"  
  
"No. I've lived alone the past year. My adoptive parents threw me out because they hated me." She says, starting to cry. "They said that they'd be there for me, but they weren't. I was only four!"  
  
"So, um, you're five now?"  
  
"Uh-huh."  
  
"And you were out on the streets for a year?"  
  
"Not the whole time. I was a orphan for most of the time, and I would go to a different house every few weeks. Most of them did bad things, and some of them sold something they called pot. The last ones did that, and I ran away when they were put in jail. I got free food and everything. And then Tsumon came up to me. (Tsumon looks like Umpamon, only with kitten ears, and black stripes.) She changed everything for me! And now I live here and I get everything I need and it's wonderful!"  
  
"Wow. So you love living here?"  
  
"Yeah, but I wish I could have a family that doesn't throw me out."  
  
"Maybe you could stay with my father, my brother and me."  
  
"Mr. Takashi and Matt?"  
  
"No, Ishida. I changed my name to Ishida because my mother died in a car accident yesterday."  
  
"Oh wow. I'm sorry, I didn't know."  
  
"That's ok. Not many people do. Come on, let's get you back to the Real World. I'm sure it'll be ok for you to stay at my place, and if not, you could stay at Hikari's."  
  
"Wow, you know Hikari, too?"  
  
"Yeah, of course. The whole gang as you know them in seasons one and two of digimon on t.v." Takeru says, walking to the Digi-Port with Nemoriku skipping next to him. She might get a home with an actual family. ^_^  
  
~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
So, how do you like the story so far? Review please! Constructive criticism is always welcome, and I enjoy complements too (^_-) 


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~  
  
First of all, I would like to say 'Thank You' to Reviewer for pointing out my obvious flaws. First of all, I am sorry that I didn't explain that the Digimon series is aired in Japan and in many other countries, including my home country, the United States. Yes, he knows. Thank you for that concern. Also, he wasn't worried about Hikari because, well, I don't actually know. I kind of forgot about her myself.. That's how much I get into my stories. Oh, and about the paragraph thing. I didn't know until after I had posted it. There is a better one up now. Thanks for noting the problems. I hope you understand more now! ^_^ Now, on to the next chapter!  
  
~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~  
  
They're transported back to the Real World, right into Takeru's new bedroom, where they find Matt relaxing on his bottom bunk, clicking through the t.v. channels.  
  
"Hey Matt."  
  
"Morning Takeru. Hey, who's that?" Matt asks, looking at Nemoriku with one eyebrow raised in question.  
  
"Her name's Nemoriku. She said she's been homeless for quite a while and that she's been in the Digital World for two weeks."  
  
"14 minutes, huh?"  
  
"No, two weeks!" Nemoriku squeaks enthusiastically.  
  
"No, 14 minutes. Every minute in this world is a day in the Digital World." Matt says, filling the young girl in.  
  
"Really?" She asks. Takeru and Matt nod. "Wow. That's neat!"  
  
"So, what should we do now little bro?" Matt asks.  
  
"I was thinking we could take her in under our roof. She needs a home, she can't just be living in the Digital World, or out on the streets here forever."  
  
"Well, I guess we could try. Think we should look up her background?"  
  
That moment Mr. Ishida walks into the room, about to announce his return home from the t.v. station when he sees Nemoriku sitting on Takeru's bottom bunk next to Matt. He looks at her for a few minutes and answers his oldest son's question.  
  
"No."  
  
"What?" Both teens ask.  
  
"I have all the information you need."  
  
He stands in silence for a moment before clearing his throat and trying to find the words to say. He finally gives up after a minute or two of thinking.  
  
"Nemoriku.. She's..your little sister. To.. um.. both of you."  
  
Everyone looks up in surprise. They had a younger sister that's been out on the streets and going from house to house all this time, and they'd never known? How?  
  
"Um, can you step out for a minute?" He asks his daughter. She nods and walks out into the hallways, closing the door behind her. Both Takeru and Matt were in complete shock.  
  
"Well, six years ago, your mother and I were drunk, and we made a mistake. Both of you were away in America most of the following year to visit Mimi, and not to mention, there was a lot going on with Myotismon. Your mother was so embarrassed when she had Nemoriku, that she put our new daughter up for adoption. Both of us thought we would never see her again, until I saw her on your bed, Takeru. I should've told both of you sooner. I'm sorry." Mr. Ishida says, and then he walks out of the bedroom, and out the door of their apartment building.  
  
"You're my brothers?" Nemoriku asks.  
  
"Yep, guess you are." Matt responds.  
  
"So I'm staying here?"  
  
"Of course! We can't reject you now, can we? You're our little sister!" Takeru exclaims happily, hugging his newfound sister, and wondering what else lies ahead.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wow. Well, Review now please! Gomen. I hope you like it so far. Do you think I should continue with the story? 


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Nemoriku's awake first this morning, and she's watching season two of Digimon, occasionally yelling out to the mother she never knew. Matt comes out to comfort her, but all she does is run from the room and lock herself in a closet down the hall. Matt shrugs and turns the channel. She's bound to come out sooner or later.  
Takeru comes out a few minutes later, rubbing his eyes in an effort to keep himself awake.  
  
"Hey Takeru, you know the rules, last one up makes breakfast!" Matt says with a smirk.  
  
"Where's Niku?" Takeru asks his brother while he gets out the frying pan. He's using the nickname for Nemoriku that she likes to be called.  
  
"In a closet." Matt says plainly, paying more attention to his favorite anime show.  
  
"What?!"  
  
"TK!" The little girl screams, running into the kitchen and clinging to her brother's leg.  
  
"You're up!"  
  
"Yeah. Hey Niku." Takeru says, messing up her hair. "Whatcha want for breakfast?"  
  
"Pancakes!" She says.  
  
"Well Takeru, looks like it's your turn to be a big brother." Matt says enthusiastically.  
  
"Yeah. Guess so." Takeru says, pouring batter into the pan.  
  
"Crap!" Matt yells, as a 'newsflash' is put on in place of the show he was watching. Niku runs into the living room and plops herself on the couch next to Matt, just in time to hear the news.  
  
"In downtown Tokyo there are gigantic Digimon prowling the streets, leaving destruction in their wake. Where are the DigiDestend? If you are watching, please help!"  
  
"Looks like we need to take care of this real quick before breakfast." Matt says calmly. Takeru turns off the stove quickly and goes to get Patamon.  
  
"Oh my God! We have to do something!" Nemoriku yells. Soon her partner is out asking about what's going on.  
  
"You can DigiVolve, can't you? Right?" she asks.  
  
"Um.not yet." Tsumon answers.  
  
"Listen," Takeru says to the two as he walks out into the living room. "Matt, Gabumon, Patamon and I will handle it, it's no big deal. You guys stay here." He says with a smile before Patamon DigiVolves to Pegususmon. He jumps on, and they're off to Tokyo.  
  
When they get there, they see a scene like so many others before. There are Digimon everywhere that are running around destroying things, and taking great pleasure in doing so. However, the Digimon are so inexperienced that they're out within a few attacks.  
  
"So, what should we do now?" Takeru asks his brother.  
  
"What do you mean? I thought we were going home to eat pancakes."  
  
"Well, um, yeah, but our sister has no experience in fighting with her partner side by side like we do, so there's the sign that we have to help her and Tsumon."  
  
"Um.ok, I guess."  
  
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~  
  
"Get away from us!" Nemoriku screams.  
  
She was wanting to see her brothers in the middle of a battle, so she left to go find them. Of course, Tsumon and Nemoriku weren't so lucky as to get there. They've run across a very angry Unimon on the way.  
  
"Go away you freak!" Nemoriku yells again.  
  
Unimon attacks, but Tsumon quickly DigiVolves into Carisomon, (a cat- like creature with a great skill in flight. Somewhat similar to Gatomon, only with wings, a bandana around her neck, and a jewel on her forehead. She has black bands around her wrists and ankles, and she's light blue in color with pink eyes, and she is 3'6) just in time to pick up Nemoriku and fly to a safer height.  
  
"Thunderbolt!" She yells, blasting a strong lightning attack from the jewel on her forehead down to the Unimon's horn. The Unimon is paralyzed, and soon enough, Nemoriku and her newly DigiVolved partner fly back towards their home.  
  
~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~  
  
Just as Matt and Takeru unlock the door to their apartment, Nemoriku and Carisomon fly in through the sliding glass door (of which they left open). Carisomon de-DigiVolves, and they both sit down on the couch, turning on the t.v. just as Matt and Takeru come in. Carisomon had promised earlier that she wouldn't say a word about what happened to either of the brothers.  
  
"Hey Nemoriku!" Takeru says as he takes something out of his pocket. "You've got one of these, right?" he asks, holding out his DigiVice.  
  
"Well, I guess I'll make breakfast.." Matt complains.  
  
"Yep, I have one." Nemoriku says, taking a silver DigiVice out of her backpack.  
  
"Do you know how to use it?"  
  
"Not really."  
  
"Have you noticed the time?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"There's a clock as one of the settings. It adjusts the time as you move throughout the world, and it even tells the time when you're in the Digital World." Takeru explains.  
  
"Wow!" Niku says with excitement. "Which button do you press?"  
  
"The top left."  
  
"Oh wow! This is so cool!"  
  
"Press it again."  
  
"Huh? There's nothing there."  
  
"Not yet. That's where a DigiEgg goes when you get one."  
  
"Neat!"  
  
"Now press it again."  
  
"There's nothing here either." Niku says, somewhat disappointed. "What goes here?"  
  
"Your Careko ring."  
  
"What's that?" She asks, looking back down at her blank DigiVice screen.  
  
"It doesn't make your partner DigiVolve, instead it's like a powerup. Most Digimon get stripes from the powerup if they don't already have them."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"It's better than that, though."  
  
"In what way?"  
  
"When a Digimon uses the Careko ring, they become invisible to people that don't have Digimon partners. They can also make people, other Digimon, and objects invisible when their power strengthens. It makes it easier for all us Destend to travel outside of Japan. Here, everyone knows about Digimon, but in other countries, they have no clue, with exception to the Destend in those countries."  
  
"Oh, wow! I can't wait to get one!"  
  
Takeru smiles at his little sister's comment. She has a lot to learn about the Digital World, and even her DigiVice and partner.  
  
"Time to eat guys!" Matt calls. "Get your pancakes! I hope you like them!"  
  
As they walk over to the kitchen and grab plates and silverware from the cabinets and drawers, Nemoriku thinks about the Careko rings.  
  
"How do you get a Careko ring?"  
  
"You have to do something really good." Matt answers from the dining room table. "I didn't get one until after Gabumon DigiVolved to his Ulta- Champion level."  
  
"Ulta-Champion?"  
  
"Yeah, two steps above Mega."  
  
"Wow. What does Gabumon look like then?"  
  
"A huge, ferocious wolf with lots of power."  
  
"Really?!"  
  
"Yeah, and he's as big as a skyscraper."  
  
"Wow! That's cool! When do you think Tsumon will be able to DigiVolve that high, and when do you think I'll get a Careko ring?"  
  
"Maybe soon if you and Tsumon train really hard." Takeru says as he comes into the room with a glass of lemonade and sits down in the chair next to Nemoriku.  
  
"When do we start training?"  
  
"Well, that depends. The first fight has to be a real fight, not a setup."  
  
"Well, um." Nemoriku says outloud. "Um, we've already been through a fight."  
  
"When?" Takeru asks.  
  
"Um.well." Niku stutters. "Today."  
  
"What? Today? When? In the Digital World?" Matt asks quickly.  
  
"Um.no, here. Tsumon and I wanted to see you guys in battle, so we ran after you, but a Unimon attacked us on the way there. But don't worry, Tsumon DigiVolved into Carisomon just in time to paralyze Unimon and get us back here."  
  
"You shouldn't have tried coming, but it seems you have the Destend blood in you, and you're alright, so good work. You too, Tsumon." Takeru says, carefully picking out the right words.  
  
"Thanks." Tsumon says, opening her eyes for just a few seconds. "I appreciate it."  
  
"Listen up Niku." Takeru says. "Tomorrow we'll start you and Tsumon's training, ok?"  
  
"What's going to happen first?"  
  
"Tsumon and you are going to show us how a DigiVolution works."  
  
"Ok. I can't wait!"  
  
~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~  
  
Later that night at the Kamiya house..  
  
"Hikari, how could you still keep that horrible thing after all these years?!" Mr. Kamiya screams at his daughter.  
  
"I'm not a horrible thing, I'm a Digimon!" Gatomon yells. "And stop yelling at my partner!"  
  
"I've had enough of both you and Hikari! Hikari, you're grounded!"  
  
Hikari opens her bedroom door, and Gatomon runs in.  
  
"That's enough! Why do you have to hate everything I do? Why do you hate my partner? Why is it that you hate everything about Destend, and everything about the Digital World? Why can't you accept me for who I am?!"  
  
"Why can't you follow the rules your mother and I have set for you? No animals, no staying up past eight, and absolutely no ditching school! Just because your teachers believe those lame excuses doesn't mean I'm going to! I don't care WHO you think you are, or that you THINK you're saving the world! Truth be told, you couldn't save anything, and that world you're always talking about is just your imagination!"  
  
"That's it. I can't stand this anymore." Hikari says to Gatomon, closing and locking her bedroom door. "I need to get out of here. Let's go to Takeru's tomorrow."  
  
"Sure! Sounds fun. I can't wait to see Patamon." Gatomon says, laying down on Hikari's bed.  
  
"Yeah, and I can't wait to see Takeru." Hikari says, laying down next to Gatomon, and covering herself in a thin blanket.  
  
"Sweet dreams Gatomon, G'night Takeru, wherever you are. Hope you had a better day than us."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Looong chapter! Hope you like it. Should I continue on still? Tell me what you think in a review! Gomen! 


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~  
  
(Phone ringing)  
  
"Phone! Takeru! Phone!" Patamon yells, waking his sleeping partner.  
  
"Ok, ok. Jeez."  
  
(Takeru picks up the phone.)  
  
"Hello? .What? . Slow down . ok, yeah . wow . don't worry, just let me get dressed . Patamon and I will be there . just give us five minutes . oh . well, ok . uh-huh . sure . yeah . see you then . bye."  
  
"Who was it? What happened?" Patamon asks quickly as Takeru puts down the phone.  
  
"Wow." He says, getting up off his bed and walking over to his closet.  
  
"It was Hikari."  
  
"Why did she call at five in the morning?"  
  
"She . um . her parents left a um . a note ."  
  
"Note? What happened? Did someone die?"  
  
"No, but her parents packed suitcases, and up and left for Hawaii."  
  
"Over by America?"  
  
"In a matter of speaking."  
  
"So, they just . left?"  
  
"I guess." Takeru answers, slipping on his shoes and walking out to the living room. He plops himself down on the couch, and Patamon flies over and lands on the couch next to his partner.  
  
In a matter of minutes, there's a knock on their door. Takeru gets up quickly to go answer the door. As he opens it, Hikari falls into his arms.  
  
"I can't believe it! They're gone!" she says, sobbing.  
  
"It's ok, everything will be fine." Takeru reassures her, walking to the couch with his arm around her waist. They sit down, and she leans against him.  
  
"I don't get it." Gatomon says to Patamon. "Just last night she was wishing their death, but when they actually leave, she cries her heart out."  
  
"What's going on out here?" Matt asks half-awake, stumbling over everything in the room. "Hikari? What are you doing here so early? Whoa, what's wrong? What happened? Why are you crying?"  
  
Takeru and Hikari explain what happened slowly, with Gatomon adding comments every once in a while.  
  
"Wow." Matt says. "Well, if you need someplace to stay, remember that you're always welcome here, ok?" he asks, giving Hikari a comforting hug.  
  
"Ok, thank you." Hikari answers.  
  
Matt stands up and stretches. "Well, I'm going back to bed." He says with a yawn. "Maybe I'll see you in the morning, Hikari. G'night."  
  
"G'night." Takeru, Hikari, Patamon and Gatomon say in unison.  
  
"Matt had a good point." Takeru states.  
  
"To go back to bed?"  
  
"No, not that. Well, maybe a little bit, but my point was that you can stay here with us. That would really be nice. You know, there's a rollout sleeper under my bunk bed. Nemoriku could sleep on that, and you can have the top bunk."  
  
"Nemoriku?"  
  
"Oh, that's right. You don't know her. Well, apparently Matt and I have a little sister that we didn't know about until she found me in the Digital World the other day, came to stay with us, and dad confessed."  
  
"Wow. That's extreme." Kari says in shock. "How old is she?"  
  
"Five."  
  
"Wow. Then she was born a long time after your parents divorced."  
  
"Uh, yeah. How about details later, sleep now?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~  
  
"Kari, Kari wake up!" Taichi shouts at the top of his lungs.  
  
"Huh?" she asks sleepily.  
  
"Where's mom and dad? What happened? Where did they go?"  
  
"They went to Hawaii." Gatomon answered.  
  
"Hawaii?"  
  
"Yeah." Kari says, sitting up. "Dad was going on about Gatomon and the Digital World again last night, and this morning both him and mom were gone."  
  
"When this morning?"  
  
"At five. And they left a not, too."  
  
"Where is it?"  
  
"Here."  
  
Hikari pulls the note out of her pant pocket and gives it to Taichi.  
  
"What's going on in here?" Niku asks, rubbing her eyes.  
  
"Our parents left home." Hikari answers, referring to Taichi and herself. "You must be Nemoriku."  
  
"Yeah. Who are you?"  
  
"I'm Hikari, and he's my brother, Taichi."  
  
"Oh wow. You two are Destend, aren't you?" Nemoriku asks. Hikari nods. "So am I! And Takeru and Matt are my brothers!"  
  
"I heard this morning when I got here." Hikari says with a smile. "How do you like it here?"  
  
"It's wonderful!"  
  
"That's great. It's nice to hear some good news with everything going on these days."  
  
"Yeah." Nemoriku says. "Why did your parents leave home?"  
  
"It's a long story."  
  
"Come on guys. We can hear the story over eggs and bacon, k?" Matt asks, walking into the bedroom.  
  
"Yeah. I'm starved." Hikari answers.  
  
As they eat, Hikari explains everything that happened the night before, and told everyone about all of the fights that have been breaking out at their apartment lately.  
  
"Jeez Kari, why didn't you say anything about this to me earlier?" Taichi asks.  
  
"That wouldn't have changed anything. They've always hated me. They just never said anything about it until you left for college, that's all."  
  
"Still, you should've told someone." Matt says.  
  
"If you would've told me, I would've moved back in." Taichi adds.  
  
"I didn't want to be a problem."  
  
"You aren't a problem. Just tell me though Hikari, was it ever more than an argument?" Taichi asked.  
  
"Well . uh, yeah. Sometimes. Not often though."  
  
"What happened?" Takeru asks, quite worried.  
  
"Well, dad hit me once. Then I hit him back to defend myself, but he got angrier and kicked me."  
  
"Then both of us got out of there. We had to." Gatomon added. "I really didn't want to have to hurt him. At the first chance, he'd have me killed."  
  
"Oh my God."  
  
"Really, Taichi, I'm ok, everything's fine now. Don't worry about it."  
  
"It's best that they're out of my sight, too. Next time I see them, I can't promise anything." Gatomon says, enraged.  
  
"Calm down. It's over. You'll never see them again." Patamon says.  
  
"Yeah. It's over. Thank God. to a point." Kari says, somewhat disappointed in the way both she and her father had acted the night before. If only she would've told someone before it got that bad. But there's no going back now, what's done is done, so she'll have to deal with it, as well as Taichi and their friends and families. 


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Ok Niku. Ready?" Takeru asks.  
  
"Uh, yeah."  
  
"I'm ready Nemoriku!" Tsumon yells to her partner.  
  
"Tsumon! DigiVolve now!" Nemoriku shouts, raising her DigiVice into the air. The DigiVice activates and shines a beam of silver light straight at Tsumon.  
  
"Tsumon DigiVolve tooo..!" Tsumon yells, changing form. "Carisomon!"  
  
"Good work guys. Now it's time to get started with the actual training. Remember, anything in this area of the park that moves can be used as a target. Some of the other Destend in the area will walk out, and you go attack, Carisomon. The person's partner will demonstrate different abilities such as speed, power, agility, and control. Ok?" Takeru explains.  
  
"Ok." Carisomon says, nodding.  
  
"Niku?" Takeru asks, getting his sister's attention. "What I want you to do is guide your partner. Remember, you hold a part of the power, and you should try mimiking what you see other Destend doing out on the field. Try developing your own technique, but yet still be a partner and a friend to Carisomon at the same time. Understand?"  
  
"Yeah." Nemoriku says, hoping that she'll get the hang of it.  
  
"Ready you two?"  
  
"Yeah." They answer.  
  
"Ok, let's start this, then." Takeru says, signaling the first duo to start. Right on cue, Yolei starts walking across the open area.  
  
"Carisomon, there! To your right!" Niko shouts.  
  
"Yeah!" her partner responds, flying quickly toward the Destend. In one swift movement, Hawkmon blocks her attack and punches Carisomon in the face. Before she knows it, she's on the ground.  
  
"Behind you!" Niku shouts. "Flying a little off the ground!"  
  
"Hawkmon! Dodge and attack!" Yolei yells in defense. Carisomon lands flat on her back once again.  
  
"Hawkmon's demonstrating speed!" Niku says to her partner. "Use your attack that you used on Unimon!"  
  
"Ok then!" Carisomon replies. She stays low to the ground and figures out the pattern in which Hawkmon is flying.  
  
"Thunderbolt!" she yells, guiding her attack to where Hawkmon will be by the time it reaches the height. Hawkmon is hit, and she falls to the ground.  
  
"Watch out!" Niku yells, noticing the Agumon that's creeping up behind Carisomon. "On the ground!"  
  
"Pepper Breath!" Agumon shouts, spitting a fireball out at Carisomon.  
  
"Light energy!" Carisomon yells, blasting a medium sized energy ball at Agumon. Agumon stays true to his orders, and remains slow to react, as he was told he'd be demonstrating power. He takes the blow and then sends out another vicious attack.  
  
"Pepper. Breath!" Agumon shouts, making his attack much stronger than before.  
  
"Light energy!" Carisomon yells, moving quickly over to the left and releasing many small energy balls from her paws, 'defeating' Agumon.  
  
"Over there, to the left!" Niku informs Carisomon. "Another Destend! Quick, attack!"  
  
"On my way!" Carisomon says, flying quickly toward Davis (who, by the way, is eating a cheese dog, and paying no attention to what is going on. DemiVeemon runs after him, also paying no attention to the Carisomon flying straight at them.  
  
"Hey Davis! Can I have a piece?" DemiVeemon asks his partner.  
  
"Sure!" Davis says, pulling a piece off the end.  
  
"Davis!" Takeru yells. "Watch out!"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Wham! Carisomon runs straight into a bewildered Davis.  
  
"Ow! My arm! My arm!" Davis cries out. Carisomon looks at the Destend on the ground yelling out in pain, confused about why the DemiVeemon never attacked.  
  
"Davis! Are you ok?" Takeru asks, running toward the dazed Destend.  
  
"My cheese dog! Oh no! I dropped my cheese dog!" Davis yells, now depressing over his hot dog of which is on the ground face down in the dirt.  
  
"What was that for?!" he yells at Carisomon. "You owe me a cheese dog!"  
  
DemiVeemon is rolling on the ground laughing at all of this. (Think about it, it is funny to see Davis sprawled on the ground crying about his poor hot dog.)  
  
"Davis! I warned you earlier not to come to this park because of training for Nemoriku and Carisomon! Yet, you end up here, anyways." Takeru says in disgust, lowering his head.  
  
"I was thinking about eating! I couldn't help it! I'm hungry, and I wanted food, and there's a great new hot dog vendor a couple blocks away from here!"  
  
"You ended up two blocks away from the place you bought the hot dog at, and you just now started to eat it?"  
  
"Uhh.umm..yeah." Davis responds. "So?"  
  
"Just making sure." Takeru says, walking away. "Get off the field now, Dai. Time to finish for the day!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Off somewhere in Japan, later that day.  
  
"I'm tired of this! First mom dies and now you act like I'm some stupid dog?! I'm outta here!" yells a boy. He's 16, has blue eyes and brown hair, is 5'9 and goes by the name  
  
"Reko! Get back here! You have nowhere to go, no one to take care of you, nothing!"  
  
"I expect to change that very soon!" he says to his father, walking down the apartment hallway, and then outside. He takes the backroads. No one ever goes back there at night. He'll be ok for now, he took the yen with that he was paid from his last job. It'll get him through a few nights. Of course, he'll need a place to go and sleep. He doesn't exactly have enough for a hotel or anything.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Well, I figured who better to stay with then the person who saved my life."  
  
"Sorry Reko. I'm not living here anymore, I just came to pick up the rest of my stuff." Hikari says, looking at the necklace that lay in her hand.  
  
"I thought they actually cared every once in a while. They gave me stuff like stupid necklaces when they wanted to say sorry." She throws the necklace at the wall. "Sorry Reko, but I'm staying at Takeru's. His house is filled up right now. He's living with his dad and brother, and their newfound little sister."  
  
"Yeah, I heard. But I didn't know that your family."  
  
"Don't worry about it."  
  
"I do have some money. All I need is a place to sleep."  
  
"Could you get a job or anything?"  
  
"Course. That's the second thing I was planning on doing."  
  
"Well, come on, let's see what we can do."  
  
"Thanks, Hikari. This means so much."  
  
"I know how you feel. That's why I'm doing this for you." She turns to Gatomon. "Hey, could you DigiVolve and give me a hand?"  
  
"Sure!" Gatomon says. She DigiVolves to AngeWomon.  
  
"Here, take this box. Don't drop it, it's got my collection of glass wolves, k?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Is that box heavy or something?" Reko asks.  
  
"No. I just don't trust myself with it."  
  
"Ya know, I wish I could have a Digimon partner. That would be so cool. I've always wanted to go to the Digital World."  
  
"Keep dreaming." Kari says with a smile. "You never know, maybe someday it'll come true."  
  
"Yeah," Reko says, walking out of the apartment after Hikari, and closing the door. "I guess you're right."  
  
"Course I'm right." Kari says, walking down the hall after AngeWomon. "I know this stuff from experience."  
  
~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ 


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Well, I guess you could stay here for a while if you want, but I don't know where you'll sleep or anything." Takeru says.  
  
"Thanks so much. I really appreciate it."  
  
"Well, I try."  
  
"I'll just sleep out here or somethin."  
  
"Nonsense." Matt says, coming out into the living room where Takeru, Kari and Reko are sitting. "My band's starting our new tour today. I'll be gone for a month or so, so you're welcome to sleep in my room while I'm gone."  
  
"Thanks Matt."  
  
"No problem." He says as he puts down a suitcase near the front door. "I'm always happy to help."  
  
Matt walks back down the hallway to his room to get another suitcase and his guitar. As he comes back out, the doorbell rings.  
  
"Mark's probably here with the bus. I'll see you guys in a couple months."  
  
"Bye Matt! Bye Gabumon!" Everyone calls out the door.  
  
"Bye everyone!" Gabumon calls back.  
  
Takeru closes the door behind them.  
  
"I can't believe they're already going on tour. It seems too early, it only seems like it's been a week since Matt told me, and yet it's been five months."  
  
"Yeah." Kari adds in.  
  
"So, what exactly brings you here?" Takeru asks Reko.  
  
"My dad and I had a huge argument the other day. I can tell he no longer wants me around."  
  
"It seems like everyone's having arguments lately." Gatomon says with a sigh.  
  
"What? Oh, yeah. Your parents moved out, right Kari?"  
  
"Yeah." Kari says with a sigh. "But I'm glad. Our little family was getting nowhere fast. All anyone would do after Tai moved away was yell at me anyway. I felt like I was in some sort of prison, or something close to it."  
  
"That's kind of how I felt, too. And all the yelling was because Kari and I are partners. Her parents never understood any of the Destend stuff. They never -wanted- to understand that both Kari and I need to be partners, and that we have no choice but to work together."  
  
"We want to work together. We always have, why would we stop just because my so called parents want us to break apart and never see each other again? I guess the finally figured that out, so they left."  
  
All of the other Destend and Digimon nod. Reko, however, doesn't understand the friendship between partners.  
  
"Why can't you break apart?" Reko asks, raising an eyebrow. "Aren't Digimon just for work and fighting?"  
  
"No!" Takeru says strongly. "They're not just for work! They're a best friend you have for life. You can't just treat them like crap, like Ken did a few years ago. They're not slaves, they're just as alive as you and me. Most people don't understand that. But that's just because they're clueless and they've never met a Digimon, or been friends with a Destend."  
  
"I would've thought better from you Reko. You've been friends with Kari for years!" Patamon squeaks.  
  
"Well sorry!" Reko says. "I never knew that it's so complex. I figured you fight together and that's it. But I know now."  
  
All of them stand there for a minute, when there's a beam of light in front of Reko. Rays shoot out from all sides (in their anime-ish way) and slowly the glow fades, until they can see a silver D-3 and the Crest of Truth floating in front of Reko.  
  
"Whoa! Is it mine?" he asks, cupping his hands under the DigiVice and Crest. Both items slowly lower into his hands, and they lose their glow.  
  
"Wow! I'm a Destend!" Reko exclaims.  
  
"How did -that- happen?" Patamon asks angrily.  
  
"I guess his partner was waiting until he understood the bond between Destend and Digimon." Takeru answers.  
  
"Wow." Reko says, looking at his DigiVice and Crest. "Is this a crest?" he asks, holding up the small object.  
  
"Yeah. That's the Crest of Truth." Kari explains.  
  
"Wow. Cool!" Reko exclaims. "But where's my partner?"  
  
"Give him time to get here." Takeru says.  
  
"Hey guys?" Sora asks as she opens the front door. "Has Matt left yet?"  
  
"Yeah." Hikari answers.  
  
"Oh, okay. I thought I might've gotten here late, but I wasn't sure. I just got out of class a while ago and drove straight here." She says, feeling a bit down because she missed her chance to say goodbye to Matt. "Hey Reko, where'd you get a DigiVice from?"  
  
"I'm a Destend."  
  
"Cool. Welcome to the group!.. Well, I have to go guys, I'm applying for a college today, and I'd better be ready. Wish me luck!"  
  
"Good luck Sora!" some of the Destend say as she walks out the door.  
  
"Thanks, guys!" Sora says, waving at the Destend from down the hallway, before disappearing down the stairs.  
  
"Time really does fly when you're having fun." Gatomon says.  
  
Gatomon said exactly what everyone was thinking. (besides Reko) The whole gang has been together since they were all kids. Takeru and Kari were so young when they became Destend that they can't remember a time when they didn't have partners. And now they're both sixteen, and the original Destend are going to college. Time passes too quickly.  
  
Before Takeru is even able to close the door, Davis rushes inside.  
  
"We need help now! You have to come to the Digital World! Hurry, please!"  
  
"Wha.what's going on?" Takeru asks, running after Davis, with Kari, Nemoriku, their partners, and Reko in tow.  
  
"There's no time to explain." Davis says, heading towards the Ishida's computer. Raising his DigiVice to the monitor, he exclaims, "DigiPort open!", and they're soon off to the Digital World, with Reko tagging along behind, since it's his first time there.  
  
"Wow!" Reko exclaims. "This is like a dream or something!"  
  
"There's no time to suck all this in, sorry dude, but we gotta get going." Davis says, getting on his partner's back.  
  
"DigiVolve!" Nemoriku says to Tsumon. "Why can't you DigiVolve? You just did the other day!"  
  
"I don't know!" Tsumon answers.  
  
"Give it time!" Takeru yells to the two. "Just get on Pegususmon. Hurry up now!" Nemoriku and Tsumon hop on, and Reko gets on Nefertimon, sitting behind Kari.  
  
Hurriedly, all the Digimon follow Davis's partner. They find a gruesome sight at their arrival. Stingmon, Aquilamon, and Ankylomon are fighting as hard as they can, yet their moves aren't working at all.  
  
"Davis!" Ken calls. "It's time for Veemon and Wormmon to DigiVolve!"  
  
"Right!" Davis yells, running over to Ken. Stingmon De-DigiVolves to Wormmon, and then both Veemon and Wormmon DNA DigiVolve to Pieldramon and then to Imperieldramon.  
  
As Imperieldramon moves in to fight, Ankylomon and Aquilamon move out to DNA DigiVolve with Patamon and Gatomon. Soon, Slyphemon and Shikukumon are in there with Imperieldramon, battling it out for the sake of both worlds.  
  
"Thank God you guys made it here!" Yolei says joyously to Takeru and Kari. "We couldn't do much without you!"  
  
"It still doesn't look like we're doing much." The child of Kindness says, dropping his head to look down at the ground.  
  
"No." Takeru says strongly. "You have to believe that they can accomplish this, just like all the fights before. We have to have hope."  
  
They stand there, watching their partners attack again and again, waiting, hoping one of the attacks will cause at least a flinch or a scratch, or some sign that they'll win. After a tiring hour and a half, the enemy Digimon still hasn't shown any signs of anything, making tension rise by the second.  
  
"That's it! What are we going to do now?!" Davis asks. "Even I can tell nothing good is happening here. Isn't there a plan B or something?"  
  
"Why yes, actually there is a way." Gennai says, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. "You must find the key."  
  
"The what?!" Reko asks, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"The key to the balance of the Digital and Real Worlds, and they key which can rid darkness and bring light. The key is a person. That's all I can tell you, because that's all that I know." He says, then disappearing in the same unusual way of which he came.  
  
"The key?" Kari asks.  
  
"Jeez, Gennai didn't even tell us if it's a guy or girl. It could be anybody!" Davis exclaims.  
  
"Well, we don't really have the time to even talk about this right now. We have to find whoever it is before that Digimon attacks us back." Cody says, worried.  
  
"For all we know, the key could be one of us in this group. Reko doesn't have a partner yet -- it could be him." Takeru says.  
  
"Don't you think the key would know it if they were the key? I'm just as confused as you are."  
  
"Well, we'd better get searching." Yolei says.  
  
"But, how? If we take our partners, who'll know what happens next." Kari says.  
  
"Well, Nemoriku and I can go, since we can't really help anyway." Reko answers.  
  
"At least one of us needs to go, though. I'll go, too." Takeru says.  
  
"Why can't we just get Izzy to join in? He works nights anyway. Besides, he's the computer guy, and he knows more about the Digital World than any of us do." Davis points out.  
  
"Great idea Dai!" Takeru says, running off. "Let's all hope that he says yes!" he yells back at the group. 


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"So, do you think you'll help us?" Takeru asks his friend.  
  
"Actually, I found out about this a couple weeks ago from Gennai, and I've been searching for the person." Izzy answers.  
  
"Have you found them?"  
  
"No, but I know that it's a girl we're looking for. I've narrowed the search down to three places. I was just going to go look into it just before you came."  
  
"Really? Well, I'll go with."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I really hope Takeru and Izzy are hurrying up. Virukumon is starting his attack!" Yolei says.  
  
"Hey guys! Get out of there!" Kari yells.  
  
"Watch out!" Cody calls out.  
  
Virukumon swings once of his huge arms towards the Digimon. Even Imperieldramon looks puny compared to the Digimon. Imperieldramon and Shikukumon move out of the way just in time, but Slyphymon gets hit directly. She goes tumbling down to the ground, and on impact, she De- DigiVolves to Salamon and Poromon directly. Both Digimon bounce until gravity takes complete control, stopping them on the sixth drop.  
  
"Poromon!" Yolei calls.  
  
"Salamon!" Kari shouts.  
  
Both Destend run to their badly injured partners, picking them up and holding them, tears streaming down their faces.  
  
"Yolei."  
  
"Hikari."  
  
'Takeru, please hurry up.' Kari thinks to herself. 'There's not much time left.'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"One more place left to check." Izzy says to Takeru, motioning towards the door in front of them. Takeru knocks. They hear footsteps rushing to the door, and a girl, about fifteen, answers.  
  
"Oh, so good. I need some help." She says quickly.  
  
"What?" Izzy asks.  
  
"I've been going crazy. I need to find a way to get to the Digital World. I've been given this, and an e-mail telling me that the Digital World is going to be destroyed if the key doesn't go there and stop it. I think this is the key and I am the person who has to deliver it." She says, opening her hand up, revealing a small golden coin. "How can I get to the Digital World?"  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
'Hurry Takeru! I know you'll get here in time! I believe in you, Takeru- san!' Kari thinks to herself, wishing that Takeru could only hear her pleas.  
  
The Digimon has attacked numerous times, and the only Digimon left standing is Shikukumon. All the Destend and their helpless partners just stand by, watching, waiting for all of this to end. DemiVeemon, Poromon, Leafmon, and Salamon are hanging by a thread. (Hanging onto life, watching as their friend Shikukumon darts around, evading attacks - for now.) Everyone can tell that he's getting tired, and that they will meet back up with Upamon and Tokomon soon.  
  
"That's it!" Tsumon yells, hopping toward the battle. "I need you to help!"  
  
"No!" Nemoriku yells, running after her partner. "Please don't, Tsumon!"  
  
Nemoriku grabs hold of Tsumon, tumbling to the ground in an effort to keep hold of her raging partner. Tsumon ignores her, however.  
  
"Tsumon DigiVolve too.."  
  
"No, don't!"  
  
"Harokomon!"  
  
"Whaaa..?!" Nemoriku shouts. "Tsumon?" she asks, still on her knees from her attempt to keep her partner from going into battle. She looks up to see her partner towering over her.  
  
"No, Harokomon now, partner." The ultimate Digimon says to her partner. "It's time to end this."  
  
"No! please. Harokomon!"  
  
"Believe in me."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Well, we could try opening a sky portal. or then again." Izzy thinks outload.  
  
"Do you know how to use that?" Takeru asks the girl.  
  
"No, not exactly. Wait! I got it, no, no that won't work. This is really important, isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah, I don't even know what's going on there anymore."  
  
"Grr! I just want to help out the Digital World and you guys!" she yells.  
  
The 'coin' (which I'll now be referring to as the 'key') in her hand glows a light blue, and wind picks up around her. A rainbow of light comes out of the face of the coin, and in the center of the rainbow circle shows a crest that has never been seen before. Suddenly, the light blue glow spreads around the girl, as well as the two Destend. Around her, it glows white, around Izzy it glows blue, and around Takeru it glows yellow. Within the next few seconds, they are transported right in front of the battle going on.  
  
"Takeru!" Kari shouts out, running up to him and giving him a hug. "You're back!"  
  
"Yeah. Everything's going to be fine now, Hikari-san." He says soothingly.  
  
"Break it up here!" Izzy yells.  
  
Shikukumon loses focus, and Virukumon swings his arm, hitting the Digimon hard.  
  
"That's it!" the girl yells toward the huge Digimon. "You're going down!" 'here goes nothing.' She thinks to herself. 'I hope this works..'  
  
The girl focuses all of her energy on the small golden disk, closing her eyes. The disk shines once more, a rainbow of color exploding all around the outside edge, and a glow of every hue shines on everything in sight, including the sky. As the edge of the disk shines in every color, the top portion of the disk glows white, and it soon becomes a beam of light, shooting straight up into the air. It seems to slowly change positions with the rainbow of color, and soon the white light shines on each Digimon, restoring them to full power. All of the injured Digimon DigiVolve back to their trainer forms, and Salamon DigiVolves back to her Champion level. The white light then shines on Virukumon, and he dissolves into pieces. Then, the white light fades down to a light blue glow, and the magnificent colors twirl around, opening up, and then a Digimon shows up right in the center. It is about the size of Upamon or Poromon, but instead is light yellow, with two ears, each parted and thin. The top two parts are completely black, and the bottom ones are striped. (A link will go here when I get the page working!). The Digimon's eyes are round, and a deep blue.  
  
"Hi Reko! I've been waiting a long time to meet you! I'm Kamimon, your partner!" he says in a high-pitched voice, jumping out of the light and into Reko's arms.  
  
"My. Digimon? Finally!" Reko shouts, hugging Kamimon.  
  
The rainbow light sweeps once more over all the Destend and Digimon, and then stops on Kamimon and Reko. A crest drops to the ground in front of Reko, and then Kamimon DigiVolves.  
  
"Kamimon DigiVolve tooo... Gamilamon!" the Digimon shouts, changing form. (here's where another link will go!)  
  
"Gamilamon?" Reko asks.  
  
"Uh-huh." The Digimon says, his voice obviously deeper from his in-training form.  
  
The key then loses it's rainbow light, and shatters into millions of pieces, and is finally absorbed into the mysterious girl's body. She shudders as it happens, and when it is complete, she falls to the ground, unconscious. All the Destend and their partners rush over.  
  
"Ah, I see the job is done." Gennai says, appearing in front of the girl's motionless body.  
  
"What happened to her?" Dai asks.  
  
"She's unconscious. When she wakes up, she will know quite a bit more about the Digital World than she ever thought she would someday know."  
  
"How much more?" Reko asks.  
  
"More than any of you, and almost as much as I."  
  
All of the Destend and Digimon are speechless. Almost as much as Gennai? She'll be a Digital World genius!  
  
"Let me continue before you start getting too many thoughts about this. She won't just know almost everything about this world, she'll also know how to control the balance between darkness and light. If she wants to, she can tell the Digital World to become night or day, kill Digimon with just a thought, and bring life to the dead with a mere touch. She can also slow or quicken time for her own use. Basically, she has near-complete control of the Digital World."  
  
"Basically!?" Izzy asks, perplexed.  
  
"Yes. Her emotions won't have anything to do with the Digital World, so she can't just kill things because she's angry, or bring life to be happy. She must have a reason for interfering with the Digital World's balance."  
  
"Oh." Izzy says. Kari, as well as some of the Digimon, let out a sigh. They were somewhat afraid of that.  
  
"I must go now.." Gennai says, once again disappearing.  
  
Reko looks back to where he was standing when Gamilamon told him they are partners. He looks to the ground, and rushes over, picking up the crest and pocketing it. He figures it's his anyway. Meanwhile, the others all wait for the new Digital Guardian to wake up. It's going to be a long night, so they set up camp. Davis covers the girl in a warm blanket as it's getting dark, and with dusk comes the cold night air. 


End file.
